Moistener



Sept; 23, 1947. L, HA D 2,427,963

MO I STENER Filed Oct. 24, 1944 IN VEN TOR.

[4511! 2' Hand I17 TOPNEY Patented Sept. 23, 1947 'MQ NLEE Leslie T. Hand,.l3r0oklyn,N. Yi, assignon to lvflm'segraphv Inc New. York- Ni Ya, a,corpora-,

i e o NBWYYL A p icatio c ober. 24, s ia l a 56.045

6, Glaimsl. (Cl. 91-544) This invention. relates to moisten-ling devices and'is herein described in some detail as embodied in a device largely used in business oflices to enable operatives receiving telegrams to rapidly moisten the back or the adhesive tape on which modern telegrams are printed, so that the lengths of tape may be laid on the usual blank form and caused to adhere thereto.

These moistening devices soon becomev contaminated or blocked by settling dust and by small amounts of adhesive taken up a little at a time from the adhesive tape.

To. avoid becoming filthy and otherwise ob jectionable, the pads on these moistening devices must be renewed or cleaned frequently.

Such moistening devices usually take the form of open topped. glass, boxes provided with moldedin glass posts. so that the box may hold water and the postszsupport a loosely fitting glass cover. The glass cover is usually covered with a pad of textile and blotting paper fibers which lies on the cover flush with the top of the box sides, and the ends of the pad extend beyond the ends; of the cover, bend down and dip into the water so as to keep the pad moist.

Such a glass device is open to many objections. In the first place, the glass cover is diflicult to remove even though the box end may be provided with a slight finger depression to enable a finger to press against the cover for raising it. In the second place, the glass covers are fragile and slippery and easily broken. In the third place, the glass covers are relatively expensive because they have to be provided with, g IQu ld edges to avoid the possibility of cutting anyone who handles them, and grinding often rounds the cornersso much that the cover is difficult to lift out of the box. In the fourth place, if laid down they often wet a. widearea. In the fifth place, the glass covers because of these reasons. must be handled carefully, with. close attention, and, therefore, slowly.

According to the present invention the foregoing and other objections and disadvantages are overcome, and a supportin metal cover is provided which is easily stamped out, is light, easily handled, unbreakable, free from cutting or other edges that are diificult to make or handle,

' so that the moistcning device admirably fulfills its purpose with convenience, efiiciency and economy.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of a moistener embodying-the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom of one form of the novel supporting cover; and

Fig; 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the pad partly broken awayto show its structure.

In the form shown the usual rectangular open topped fiat bottomed molded glass box It); includes integral molded corner posts H at each corner l2; These posts are usually rounded on the faces which face inward and project from the corners IZ- far enough to provide a secure shelf 13 on which rest the cover support l4 so that the upper face of the cover support l4 lies almost flush with the top l5 of the glass box I01 In Fig. 1 the boxes shown are more than half filledwlth water so thatthe ends N5 of a moist;- eningpad Ilmay dip into a substantial depth of water.

In the form shown the pad ll lies upon the top fiat surface of the cover support I4, and preferably takes the form of two outer thicknesses of cheese cloth or other absorbent material l8 and til at each end IS, with another two'thicknesses 20, 21- enclosed between these over the full width of the support l4, and; most of thelength ofthe support. The only stitching needed is transverse seams at 22 to hold the ends of the inner thicknesses to the outer thicknesses nearwhere the inner thicknesses 2B, 2! terminate.

As a resultthe pad is relatively thick where it lies upon the top 23 of the cover {4, and the stitchings; 22 serve asrnarkers in stretching the pad over; the top 23 to roughly and quickly center itwhile the ends it are bent down over the ends of the cover l4.

When so bent down and pressed back under the cover M the ends l6 overlie and engage the pointed ends of teeth z l stamped along the edge of the bent down I d flange 25 0f the cover 14 so that the highly flexible ends l6 catch on the teeth 24, and hold the pad I! in place.

The flange 25 at each end of the cover M is of such a height that when it rests on its post 13 it supports the cover l4 flush with the top I5 of the box l0, and the ends 26 of the flange 25 may be free of teeth 24 where the ends 26 rest upon the posts I3.

The cover I4 is also shown as stiffened with longitudina1 flanges 21 extending along the long edges of the cover [4, and bent down at the same height as the flanges 25 so as to also rest on the post tops I3.

It is found that the thin ends it of the pad carry up ample Water to keep the pad I! moist where it lies upon the cover I 4.

The cover I4 is shown as provided with drain holes 28 spaced about an inch apart and about one-eighth inch in diameter to permit surplus water to drain off, if pressed out of the pad by pressure upon a tape being moistened, for example. These holes 28 are shown punched through from the top so that water naturally flows to them along the slightly bent surface of the metal.

The foregoing construction enables the cover I4 to be readily stamped out of thin sheet aluminum, thus providing a non-corrodible, light, strong, and convenient cover to handle in putting the pad I! on the front in bending its ends over the teeth 24, and then in slipping the pad and cover into the open top of the box ID to rest on the post tops I 3.

The cover I4 is easily removed to replace a used pad I! with a new one by pressing against the end flange which lies opposite a finger opening 30 at one end of the box Hi to press the cover 14 up.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a single and effective means for moistening strips having adhesive on one side. The pads are inexpensive and may be quickly changed at frequent intervals to maintain optimum working conditions. The pad is held securely in position at all times and resists any operational forces tending to slide it sidewise or endwise.

While the preferred embodiment of the pad has been described as having two thicknesses of material at the ends and four thicknesses at the middle, a greater or less number may be utilized if desired. As various other changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement ofthe parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and-without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a. moistener the combination with an open topped box for water, of a cover adapted to fit loosely in the box, a pad consisting of a plurality of layers and adapted to lie loosely upon the cover and having ends adapted to dip into the water, cover supports for holding the cover nearly flush with the top of the box, said cover consisting of thin metal punched to provide drain holes, and turned-down flanges on the cover stiffening it, said flanges including end flanges carrying teeth adapted to hold said pad ends, and stitching holding the pad layers together and serving to mark where the pad should be upon the cover.

2. In a moistener the combination with an open-topped box for water, of a cover having teeth on its under side and adapted to fit loosely in the box, supports holding the cover nearly flush with the top of the box ends, a pad of two thicknesses of thin textile material covering the cover and having ends adapted to be bent to engage said teeth, and having extra thicknesses of material where it lies upon the cover and stitching holding the pad layers together and serving to mark where the pad should be upon the cover.

.13. In a moistener the combination with an open-topped box for water, of a cover having teeth on its under side and adapted to fit loosely in the box, supports holding the cover nearly flush with the top of the box sides, a pad of two thicknesses of thin textile material covering the cover and having ends adapted to be bent to engage said teeth, and having extra thicknesses of material where it lies upon the cover and. stitching holding the ends of said extra thicknesses and serving to mark where the pad should lie upon the cover.

4. In a moistener the combination with an open-topped box, of a thin metal cover adapted to fit in said box and hold a moistening pad, supports in the box adapted to hold the cover nearly flush with the edges of the box and flanges downwardly turned from the cover adapted to strengthen it and to rest on said supports, two of said flanges at opposite ends of the box including depending teeth adapted to catch depending ends of the pad.

5. In a moistener the combination with an open-topped :box, of a thin metal cover provided with drainage holes adapted to fit in said box and hold a moistening pad, supports in the box adapted to hold the cover nearly flush with the edges of the box, and downwardly extending flanges integral with the cover and positioned adjacent the margins thereof adapted to strengthen the cover and to rest on said supports.

6. In a moistener the combination with an open-topped box, of a thin metal cover provided with downwardly punched drainage holes adapted to fit in said box and hold a moistening pad, supports in the box adapted to hold the cover nearly flush with the edges of the box, and flanges downwardly turned from the cover adapted to strengthen it and torest' on said supports, twoof said flanges at opposite ends of the box including depending teeth adapted to catch depending ends of the pad.

LESLIE '1. HAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 703,771 Duncan 'July 1, 1902 

